As spring gives way to warmer temperatures, officials from Gov. Gavin Newsom to local police have asked Californians to continue social distancing and avoid crowding as the state remains under a stay-at-home order during the COVID-19 outbreak.
Much of California will see highs in the 80s and 90s this last weekend of April.
“It’s going to be nice outside this weekend,” Newsom tweeted on Friday afternoon. “You might be feeling cooped up. Ready for life to go back to ‘normal.’ But can’t stress this enough: CA can only keep flattening the curve if we stay home and practice physical distancing. You have the power to literally save lives.”
In Southern California, the first heat wave of the season comes as some coastal areas begin to ease restrictions. While the statewide stay-at-home order has closed many businesses and facilities, it allows some outdoor activities such as exercise. (Click here to see which local beaches are open and closed.)
Ventura County and some Orange County cities have opened beaches but are keeping parking lots closed to deter crowds.
“Please, please, please, do not drive from outside the area, particularly outside the county,” said Oxnard police Chief Scott Whitney, warning that non-residents will be asked to turn back.
Ventura County officials also asked visitors to “keep moving” while surfing, swimming and jogging, urging against lounging on chairs and blankets.
On Friday, about 40,000 people hit Newport Beach but most appeared to be avoiding close contact or crowded clustering, lifeguards said.
Meanwhile, all beaches in the city of Los Angeles remain shut down.
That includes Venice, where at least a dozen surfers were nevertheless seen in the water early Saturday. Just before 2 p.m., however, Los Angeles Police Department Chief Michel Moore said Venice, as well as Malibu, Santa Monica and Dockweiler beaches were all clear.
L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti said Friday that police and lifeguards will ask people to comply with the stay-at-home order rather than issue citations or make arrests. He emphasized that the city will reopen sooner as Angelenos do their part in curbing the spread of the coronavirus.
“There is a direct correlation between what you do this weekend and how long this will take and how many lives we will lose,” Garcetti said. “Keep that in mind and do the right thing this weekend.”
On Saturday, Santa Monica police reminded the public that while beaches are closed, cooling centers, smoothie shops and other food service locations are open.
“We hold onto hope that many more post-pandemic sunny days are in our future,” the Police Department said on Twitter. “For now, we must remain focused on our goal to flatten the curve.”
California has more than 41,000 coronavirus cases and more than 1,600 deaths, half of them in the Los Angeles area, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. However, the number of infections is thought to be far higher because many people have not been tested, and studies suggest people can be infected with the virus without feeling sick.
For most people, the virus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness and death.
Cases continue to grow in California but at a manageable pace that hasn’t overwhelmed hospitals, health authorities have said. State and local stay-at-home orders have been cited as successfully slowing the rise in coronavirus hospitalizations and deaths and recent polls show Californians overwhelmingly support them.
But there have been several protests by people who want to reopen the state, contending their liberty and livelihoods are at stake.
